


Can We Pretend We're In Love Tonight

by PlutoApologist



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 07:17:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18615793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlutoApologist/pseuds/PlutoApologist
Summary: Emma and Alyssa go on a road trip before they go to separate college. But it's not going how either of them want it to go. Will they salvage it?





	Can We Pretend We're In Love Tonight

Alyssa leaned her head on Emma’s shoulder, letting her arm trail slowly over her shoulder. She was close enough that she could feel Emma shake with laughter at the bad reality show they were watching. Alyssa wasn’t really paying attention to the show; she only knew someone had been crying a while ago. She’d been too busy concentrating on Emma’s breathing, slow and steady. She smelled like a mixture of cheap gas station pizza and deodorant, but right now, it was the most romantic thing she could smell like. Jane Austen can write about the scent of lilacs and daylilies till the cows came home, but at the end of the day, Alyssa knew she would marry Emma in a garbage dump. Emma radiated peace and joy and life and Alyssa was blessed to be with her as long as she was. Alyssa had said that their road trip was a way get away from her mother, but really, they both knew they were doing it for each other, to make memories when they went to different colleges. Emma chuckled and brushed Alyssa’s hair back.

“Why are you staring at me? Do I have something on my face? It might be radioactive, from the look of that gas station pizza. Watch out Spiderman, here I come,” Emma chuckled. Alyssa flashed her a smile and took her hand, cherishing its weight in her hand. Her hand was solid, comforting. 

“No, you’re fine. I was just… thinking about how I’m going to miss this. Us.” Alyssa looked at the covers, hanging her head. Emma frowned deeply, grabbing the remote. The tv clicked off quietly and only silence was left in the room. “I want to be able to kiss you and hold your hands. I want you to play me songs in person, not over tiny little phones.”

Emma lifted Alyssa’s head with her thumb lightly. As Emma closed the distance between them, Alyssa could feel her heartbeat stronger in her chest, beating out the time left with her. Emma closed the gap. This was right. This was what life should be. Nothing existed outside Emma’s touch and soft lips. Emma gently pulled away, keeping her warm palm on Alyssa’s cheek. 

“I love you. If we broke up doing long distance, it would only be a week till I was at the window of your dorm with my guitar.” Emma turned away from the tv and sat cross-legged across from Alyssa. Alyssa wished the space between could disappear and Emma would take her in a deep hug. A deep hug that would squeeze all the hesitation out of her. 

“What if there were no flights or buses or- “

“Then I’d walk. You’re too precious to lose.” Alyssa nodded, blushing.

“Are you blushing?” Emma teased, taking her hand away from cheek. Alyssa spluttered, looking for a distraction from her cherry red cheeks. Bingo. Alyssa ticked Emma’s vulnerable feet as Emma escaped with a squeal.

“Hey, no fair! You didn’t answer the question!” Emma pouted, a smile pulling at her lips. The smile faded as Alyssa’s phone rang. Emma hated her damn cheery ringtone by now. Emma hovered between sitting and standing, her hand tapping uneasily on her thigh.

“Are you gonna get it or…”

“I’m sure it can wait.”

“I’m sure it’s Kaylee and Shelby again. Or your mom. Again.”

Alyssa’s eyes darted between the phone and Emma’s disappointed eyes. Emma sighed, sitting down heavily. 

“Just go get it. They’ll keep calling.”

“I’ll be right back I promise. Don’t order any food while I’m gone” Alyssa slipped on her flip flops, ran to her phone, answering as she walked out the door. 

Emma lazily picked up the remote and let the reality show numb her, letting her smile drop completely. This whole trip, Emma had felt like Alyssa’s second priority, between Ms. Greene’s annoyingly constant check ins and Kaylee and Shelby’s need to talk to Alyssa all the time. They had become almost clingy to Alyssa after she came out. In Emma’s opinion, it was a feeble attempt to prove that they weren’t horrible people, but as long as Alyssa was happy, Emma was happy. Yes, this was happy. Stewing in her own bitterness while watching two people fight over some petty hot guy on television. Yep. 

“It’s just not going to last,” some haughty blond proclaimed on the television. Emma snorted, tucking the blanket over herself.

“You may be right Jessica.” Emma pulled the covers over more of her, already missing Alyssa’s warmth. 

The call went on and on, till the hot guy decided which hot girl he wanted to be with. Emma switched the tv off with a huff. She got up and grabbed her guitar, idly strumming out chord patterns and picking pretty melodies. Sure, it was to nobody but herself, but she was used to it. At least, before Alyssa had come. Alyssa stared at her while she played like she had just written a great symphony. Of course, Alyssa was allowed to have her own life. Emma just couldn’t help the green ooze of jealously from stinking up their trip. Coming out of her thought, she realized her fingers were tripping over the strings, playing a discordant strange melody. It was as if without Alyssa, she couldn’t really play. Alyssa made her heart sing, she was her lungs. Without it’s lungs, her heart was too weak to show itself. She put the guitar down gently, the last chord still resonating. Her stomach grumbled loudly. Emma parted the curtain, peeking out at Alyssa talking outside. Alyssa leaned back against the wall, tapping her floor, still very much in conversation. Her stomach would complain more and Alyssa had decided her fate the moment she let her phone call go on for as long as it took two superficial people to decided they would superficially date. Emma quickly found a pizza place that delivered and started to call. 

“Hey, who are you calling?” Alyssa asked, smiling sunnily at Emma.

“I was just finishing talking to my grandma. She says hi.”

“I say hi back!” Emma’s stomach grumbled loudly, and she blushed, looking away from Alyssa.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were hungry? I would have stopped talking.” Emma shrugged, her eyes not looking away from the hideous painting on the wall. Emma sat on the edge of the bed, flipping her phone back and forth. Alyssa frowned, and concentrated on her phone for a second. She plopped down next to Emma and leaned in to show her a Mexican place on her phone. 

“How about Mexican? You can complain as much as you want about how spicy it is.”

“Deal.”  
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************  
“I have literally never had Mexican food this spicy.”

“Emma we’re in the middle of New Jersey.”

“You said I could complain!” Alyssa tried to hold in a laugh, but just ended up spitting her drink. 

“Alyssa, we’re in public! People will look.” Emma sipped her water, her cheeks burning. Alyssa hummed and pulled Emma in for a chaste kiss. When Emma made the butterflies in her stomach erupt in a colorful swarm, there was nothing that could stop her from kissing her, homophobia be damned.

“Do you think people are looking now?” Alyssa pulled away, her hand trailing on Emma’s back. 

“I don’t care,” Emma smiled, a whole set of constellations in her eyes. Alyssa innocently leaned back and took a bite of her burrito.

“By the way, water just makes the spiciness worse.” Emma stopped chewing halfway through and fixed an annoyed glare on Alyssa. She slowly chewed with her mouth open, looking at Alyssa the whole time.

“Emma, that’s so gross.”

“I’m getting revenge,” Emma said simply, a devious smile on her lips. 

“I’m telling Betsy when we get home.” 

“Oh, you wouldn’t.” Alyssa just raised an eyebrow and continued to eat, taking pleasure in Emma’s simmering annoyance that she wasn’t affected at all by the spice. 

“You’re like a teddy bear, Alyssa. You don’t scare me.” Emma slid out of the booth clumsily.

“You can’t even get out of a booth correctly. You don’t scare me.” Alyssa preened, running her hand through her hair and examining her lovingly painted fingernails. 

“When I come back from the bathroom, I’ll be ready for revenge just you wait.” Emma sauntered off, Alyssa chuckling at her from the booth. She leaned back, giggling at her luck. Alyssa sighed as her cheery ringtone went off in her pocket. She let it ring a few times, before looking at who it was.

“Shelby, what’s up? Is it another gay thing?” Alyssa sighed. 

“You have to settle a debate. Kaylee says- “

“Shelby, I’m with Emma right now,” she said firmly. 

“It’ll be so quick, I promise.” Alyssa closed her eyes impatiently. She couldn’t make a scene in the restaurant, but damn it, this wasn’t friendship. Calling her only when they had a question about lesbians, or which celebrity was hotter, or how to be nice to people wasn’t friendship.

Alyssa glanced over nervously at the bathroom door and quickly scooted out of the booth.

By the time Emma returned, Alyssa wasn’t there and the constellations in Emma’s eyes were out.  
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************  
“Kaylee, I want to spend time with my girlfriend. I don’t have time to be your resident gay Yoda.” Kaylee and Shelby were scarily quiet. Alyssa twirled her hair tightly. “Guys?”

“That’s not how we see you.”

“You haven’t asked how I am this whole trip.”

“We haven’t really had a chance.” Annoyance was seeping into Kaylee’s tone. 

“I’ve been on the road for two weeks.” A strained silence was the only answer on the other end. 

“We’re trying to include you. We’re treating you like you’re normal. Isn’t that what you want?”

“You at least asked me about myself before! Now it’s like I’m gay so that’s you need to know.”

“We can’t really talk about guys with you.” Kaylee’s voice was small.

“Yes, you can. And you haven’t asked about me and Emma since I came out.”

“It’s hard for us.”

“You think it’s hard for you? I had to hide my relationship because I was scared of this.”

“Of what?” Kaylee sounded so pitiful and small, nothing like her normal confident bravado.

“Of you being scared of me.” Alyssa’s voice trembled with emotion. Kaylee and Shelby erupted with a flood of apologies.

“How are you and Emma?” Kaylee tried hesitantly.

“I’ve gotta go. Talk to you later,” Alyssa said, her hand shaking as she hung up. 

Alyssa was greeted with the sight of Emma’s resigned face when she walked in. Emma crossed her arms, her half finished food in front of her. 

“Where’d you go?” She was quiet, all of her spirit gone.

“Kaylee and Shelby called and- “

“Cool. You know, I think my stomach doesn’t agree with the food. I’m gonna walk back early.” Emma slid out of the booth. Alyssa stopped her as she started past the table. Emma took a step back and Alyssa put her hands at her side shamefully. 

“Talk to me Emma. Tell me what’s wrong.” Emma smiled sadly, picking up her bag.

“I will. I just need a little space.” Alyssa felt pulled to the space between them as Emma walked away but resisted to urge to stop her again. Alyssa sadly finished her meal, not even the spice bringing the thrills it normally did. 

On the way back, the passenger seat felt too empty, and the car felt too quiet without Emma’s little side comments. Emma was quietly strumming the guitar when she walked in. She stopped abruptly, her hand still in position on the fretboard.

“Hey.” Alyssa set the food down and stood awkwardly in the doorway. Emma didn’t look invite, in fact she looked like a deer in the headlights. 

“Hey,” Emma said quietly. She set the guitar down and started kneading the covers of the bed. Alyssa sat down on the bed Emma wasn’t on, the silence stretching on for what felt like forever.

“I just haven’t felt like this road trip is about us. I wasn’t lying when I said that I thought we would last long distance. But, that’s why it’s so important to me.” Alyssa laughed despite herself. Emma looked up harshly.

“Emma, this trip is important to me too. That’s why I’m so worried.” Emma sat down next to Alyssa; her hands folded in her lap.

“Is it though? You’ve been so busy calling Shelby or Kaylee or your mom that I’m coming in second.”

“Emma, I missed a family trip for this trip.” Emma started to get up but Alyssa took her hand, stopping her,

“What I’m trying to same is that you come in first. You always come in first.” Emma let Alyssa’s hand fall and started pacing the room. 

“Should I though? Look at me, I’m whining because you’re not paying attention to me.” Alyssa got in the way of Emma’s pacing and looked at her lovingly.

“Hey, don’t say that about someone I love.”

“We can pretend? Pretend that we’re equally in love?” Emma clutched Alyssa’s arms tightly. 

“Oh, Emma, it wouldn’t be pretending. Come here.” Emma fell into Alyssa’s arms, her eyes wet. Alyssa squeezed back tightly, trying to hug all the hesitation out of her.  
Emma wiped her eyes as Alyssa let go, sniffling. Alyssa smiled as an idea struck her.

“Come here. I’m gonna show you something.” Alyssa led Emma to the bed by the hand. “You’ve sung to me, but I’ve never sung to you. It’s time to change that.”  
Alyssa grabbed the guitar, but by the time she had it Emma was off the bed and behind her. 

“Let me help. I’ll sit behind you and play the chords while you sing.” Alyssa sighed happily at Emma’s smile.

“That would be cheating though.”

“I’ll allow it,” Emma grinned, patting the bed. Alyssa sat down, putting Emma’s guitar carefully on her lap sitting close enough that their thighs touched so she could play. Her breath caught when Alyssa’s thigh touched hers, but she could focus enough to play the chords. Alyssa started to sing quietly, growing in strength as she went. 

Oh, Emma you make my heart melt

I’m a disaster lesbian sundae

Why can’t you make me ring like a bell

“Wow, what romantic poetry,” Emma snickered, behind her hand. Alyssa let the guitar fall and looked at Emma teasingly.

“I’m writing you a love song, you should be grateful.” Alyssa grumpily crossed her arms. Emma recovered, trying to look serious,

“It was good,” Emma said, a barely holding back a mischievous smile

“You’re only saying that because you love me.” Alyssa shifted her hand closer to Emma’s. Emma closed the distance. 

“Yeah, I am,” Emma said, guilt sinking into her features.

“Hey, you don’t have to feel guilty. I was terrible. By the way, I was telling Kaylee and Shelby to let me spend more time with my girlfriend. That’s why I was calling them.” Emma’s features relaxed and she let her head fall onto her shoulder. 

“I’m glad. Do you want to do a redo of dinner? We could get ice cream?”

“I’d love to Emma.”

They were in falling in love tonight.


End file.
